Former Umno rep is new Perak state assembly speaker.
A fierce shouting match erupted in the Perak state assembly today when Perikatan Nasional tried to remove legislative assembly speaker Ngeh Khoo Ham.
Immediately after Ngeh reconvened the session after the departure of the Perak ruler Sultan Nazrin Shah, PN lawmakers moved to have Ngeh removed.
However, Ngeh, argued that he was in charge and urged the PN lawmakers to be patient as he would be making an address.
Soon, seven unidentified men in black suits or jackets began to converge on Ngeh from both sides and the sergeant-at-arms was seen talking to Ngeh.
Ngeh told off the sergeant-at-arms and explained his intentions to step down. The sergeant-at-arms is only supposed to take instructions from the speaker, not the executive.
“Sergeant-at-arms. Listen to my instructions. There was no vote. There was no decision. I have a right to step down (properly),” he said.
Following this, Pasir Pinji assemblyperson Howard Lee urged the men-in-black to back off and urged them not to repeat the events of 2009.
Lee was referring to the incident on May 7, 2009, where the sergeant-at-arms and several others dragged V Sivakumar out of the speaker’s seat.
Surprisingly, backbencher and Pangkor assemblyperson Zambry Abd Kadir also urged the men-in-black to desist.
The squabbling continued for a few minutes until Ngeh gave his assurance that he was not up to any devious plots and would step down as promised.
Following this, Simpang Pulai lawmaker Tan Kar Hing then asked Ngeh if he had ordered “so many sergeants-at-arms”, in reference to the men-in-black, to appear in the legislative assembly.
“Who ordered you to do this? This is criminal intimidation,” said Ngeh, who also threatened to lodge a police report.
It was only at this moment the mysterious men-in-black left the chambers and the sergeant-at-arms took his seat.
The sitting eventually continued with Ngeh delivering a long speech on the rule of law and good governance before stepping down as promised.
After Ngeh left, opposition members began streaming out of the chambers but Menteri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu moved a motion to appoint Sungai Manik assemblyperson Zainol Fadzi Paharudin as the temporary speaker.
The assembly then proceeded with electing Umno’s ex-Kamunting state assemblyperson Mohammad Zahir Abdul Khalid as the new speaker, replacing Ngeh.
Zahir after 35 of the state’s 59 assemblymen backed the motion by Faizal to nominate him.
“He has experience in the state assembly, is a former Perak exco and is a practitioner of law,” said Faizal in proposing Zahir’s nomination.
Kubu Gajah assemblyman Khalil Yahaya was appointed deputy speaker, replacing Aminuddin Zulkapli.
Explaining what had transpired in the House earlier, Ngeh said the menteri besar put forward a motion to vacate him citing Clause 13(2) of the Standing Order.
Ngeh said he wanted to resign as this is an honourable thing to do since Pakatan Harapan no longer commands the majority in the House.
He stressed that the state constitution, which is the highest law in Perak, allows him to resign anytime he wanted, while the standing order cited by Faizal to remove him as speaker was merely a subsidiary ruling.
“While the state constitution allows me to resign, the state government chose to embarrass me by pushing for a no-confidence motion to remove me.
“This is barbaric,” Ngeh said.
By right, he said PN should wait for seven days from the day the speaker’s post is vacated, to re-elect a new speaker so that all the lawmakers can nominate their candidate in accordance with the standing order.
“The state constitution also said once you don’t have a speaker, no more proceeding is allowed. So, here is a lawless government which does not respect the law.
“I wish to express my regret on how the PN state government had acted,” said Ngeh, who is also Beruas MP.
Members of the press, except for official media agencies, were barred from covering the sitting.
The PH administration in Perak fell on March 9 following the defection of seven assemblymen who pledged to support a Perikatan Nasional government, now with 35 seats.